Mounties mourn 'tragic and unthinkable loss' of young Surrey officer killed in collision

Zoe McKnight, Vancouver Sun11.17.2012

Const. Adrian Oliver, 28, died in a crash with a semi truck early Tuesday morning. He was the fifth Surrey Mountie to die while on duty since the RCMP took over policing in Surrey in 1951.JACOB ZINN
/ Surrey NOW

A police cruiser and a truck sit at the intersection of 64th Ave and 148th Street after an early morning crash in Surrey on November 13, 2012.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

A police cruiser and a truck sit at the intersection of 64th Ave and 148th Street after an early morning crash in Surrey on November 13, 2012.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

Police investigate an accident involving an unmarked police cruiser and a truck at the intersection of 64th Ave and 148th Street after an early morning fatal crash in Surrey on November 13, 2012.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

RCMP Const. Adrian Oliver is shown in a handout photo. Const. Oliver, the Mountie killed in an early-morning crash in Surrey, B.C., was part of a family with a long tradition of serving with the RCMP.THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-RCMP

A police cruiser and a truck sit at the intersection of 64th Ave and 148th Street after an early morning crash in Surrey on November 13, 2012.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

Police officers investigate the crash between a semi truck and a police cruiser driven by Const. Adrian Oliver, who died as a result of the collision.JACOB ZINN
/ Surrey NOW

A police cruiser and a truck sit at the intersection of 64th Ave and 148th Street after an early morning crash in Surrey on November 13, 2012.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

A police cruiser and a truck sit at the intersection of 64th Ave and 148th Street after an early morning crash in Surrey on November 13, 2012.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

Police examine the unmarked police cruiser after the car collided with a truck at the intersection of 64th Ave and 148th Street in the early morning in Surrey on November 13, 2012.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

Police investigate an accident involving an unmarked police cruiser and a truck at the intersection of 64th Ave and 148th Street after an early morning crash in Surrey on November 13, 2012.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

A police officer looks over an accident involving an unmarked police cruiser and a truck at the intersection of 64th Ave and 148th Street after an early morning crash in Surrey on November 13, 2012.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

Police investigate an accident involving an unmarked police cruiser and a truck at the intersection of 64th Ave and 148th Street after an early morning crash in Surrey on November 13, 2012.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

Police look over the wreckage of an accident involving an unmarked police cruiser and a truck t the intersection of 64th Ave and 148th Street after an early morning crash in Surrey on November 13, 2012.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

Police officers work at the scene of an accident involving an unmarked police cruiser and a truck at the intersection of 64th Ave and 148th Street after an early morning crash in Surrey on November 13, 2012.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

A police officer examines an RCMP car after an accident involving the unmarked police cruiser and a truck at the intersection of 64th Ave and 148th Street after an early morning crash in Surrey on November 13, 2012.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

Police examine the scene of an accident involving an unmarked police cruiser and a truck at the intersection of 64th Ave and 148th Street after an early morning crash in Surrey on November 13, 2012.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

Police look over the wreckage of an accident involving an unmarked police cruiser and a truck t the intersection of 64th Ave and 148th Street after an early morning crash in Surrey on November 13, 2012.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

A police officer works at the scene of an accident involving an unmarked police cruiser and a truck at the intersection of 64th Ave and 148th Street after an early morning crash in Surrey on November 13, 2012.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

Police investigate an accident involving an unmarked police cruiser and a truck at the intersection of 64th Ave and 148th Street after an early morning crash in Surrey on November 13, 2012.Wayne Leidenfrost
/ PNG

METRO VANCOUVER -- The family of a young Mountie killed in a car crash Tuesday expressed anguish over his death, as his public funeral was slated for next week and the investigation into what caused Const. Adrian Oliver’s cruiser to collide with a transport truck at a Surrey intersection continues.

“It is truly hard to express the feelings we have as we deal with the tragic and unthinkable loss of a son, brother, grandson, lifelong companion, friend, colleague and police officer,” his family said in a British Columbia RCMP statement released Friday.

“We wanted you all to know that Adrian was a truly compassionate and caring man with an infectious smile and willingness to help anyone and everyone he could. He had a great passion for policing and was equally dedicated to his family and friends.”

The RCMP will hold a public funeral for Const. Adrian Oliver Tues., Nov. 20, at 1 p.m. in the Langley Event Centre. Those who wish to watch a livestream of the event can go here.

Cpl. Bert Paquet of the Surrey RCMP said it’s too early to tell what may have caused the collision and refused to speculate whether speed was a factor.

“We just want to cover all bases before we make any kind of statement, and see what direction the investigation will go. We’re looking at absolutely all evidence,” Paquet said.

RCMP investigators, with the assistance of the Vancouver Police Department, are still speaking to witnesses and gathering evidence, he said.

As a way of honouring Oliver’s life, Surrey RCMP encouraged donations to the Honour House Society, which provides temporary housing to Canadian soldiers and first responders. Oliver’s family arrived in Surrey earlier this week, and plans for a memorial service and other arrangements are pending, RCMP said.

Deputy Commissioner Craig Callens, the officer in charge of the RCMP in B.C., said 28-year-old Oliver was a second-generation RCMP officer. His father is Chief Supt. Joseph Oliver, who serves in Ottawa as director general of border integrity in the RCMP’s federal and international operations department. Oliver’s twin brother is also a member of the force and based in the Lower Mainland. Oliver was not married and had no children.

“This is an extremely difficult and sad day for the RCMP, “ Callens said at a press conference at the Surrey RCMP detachment Tuesday.

The B.C.-born Oliver was educated in Ottawa and joined the RCMP in December, 2008. He joined the Surrey detachment in June, 2009 as his first posting. He had been “excited about his first posting as a general duty constable,” Callens said.

Chief Supt. Bill Fordy, who is in charge of the Surrey RCMP, praised Oliver and said little is known about the crash so far.

“He was an outstanding police officer with a great attitude and commitment to serve others,” Fordy said. “He was part of an extended RCMP family and he will be missed.

“All RCMP members and employees will be impacted by this loss and we are ensuring that proper support is available to them.”

Oliver had been driving an unmarked cruiser back to the detachment at the end of his patrolling shift around 5 a.m. when the collision happened at 148 Street and 64 Avenue. Emergency crews attempted to get Oliver from the vehicle and revive him, but he died of his injuries.

An RCMP collision reconstruction team is trying to figure out the circumstances of the crash that left the cruiser crumpled and blackened in the intersection. The detailed accident scene analysis left Tuesday morning rush-hour traffic snarled. An outside force, the Vancouver Police, has been called in to supervise the investigation.

The driver of the truck did not suffer extensive injuries.

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews extended his condolences to the Oliver family on behalf of the federal government, and Heritage Minister James Moore tweeted that the flags on all RCMP buildings would fly at half-mast until Oliver’s funeral service is held.

B.C. Attorney-General Shirley Bond, the cabinet minister responsible for policing, also gave her condolences.

“We know the loss of any officer is a tragedy and our community is diminished today because of it,” she said in a statement. “Police officers face potential dangers each day while they work to keep our communities safe, and we appreciate their dedication to duty as they serve our province.”

The last Mountie to die in line of duty in Surrey was Const. John Baldwinson, who also died in a crash in October 1975.

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